This invention relates in general to cutting apparatus and deals more particularly with improved high velocity fluid jet cutting apparatus particularly suitable for automatic production cutting of sheet material such as woven and nonwoven fabric, plastic, leather, rubber and the like. In an apparatus of the aforedescribed general type a high pressure fluid jet stream, focused by a nozzle, functions as an omnidirectional cutting "blade" to form a narrow kerf. Such apparatus is particularly suitable for cutting intricate shapes from lay-ups of sheet material in ply heights from one to several hundred. The lay-up to be cut must lie flat for accurate cutting and must be supported locally from beneath in the area where the fluid jet pierces the lower layers of the lay-up so that these layers are cut cleanly and not pushed down by the jet forces. However, the high pressure fluid jet stream, which travel at supersonic speed as it leaves the jet nozzle of the cutting tool, must retain its integrity as it passes through the lower layers of material and, therefore, necessarily has considerable residual energy as it leaves the lowermost layer of material which it has cut. This residual energy poses a potential source of wear to the cutting apparatus and backsplash damage to the material being cut and more particularly damage to the lowermost layers of material which comprise a lay-up being cut. Some provision must be made to dissipate this residual energy and drain off or otherwise recirculate the cutting fluid in the apparatus without excessive wear, noise or backsplash. The present invention is concerned with these problems.